Building in Baja: Pools Add Value to Your Home

In Baja California Real Estate, it makes sense to add a pool to your vacation property or investment property.

Pool construction is certainly evolving in Baja. A greater selection of materials are becoming available and design aspects are even being incorporated into basic homes. With an increasing number of North Americans living in Baja, Mexico year round, a pool not only serves as a great way to beat the heat, but also serves as a lasting investment in your property. With three months of Baja Sur weather in the triple digits, a pool becomes a focal point of day to day living as well has the backyard BBQ.

Once the domain of five star resorts, horizon-less pools, spa/pool combinations and fountains are now an essential element in completing your investment in median level and upscale homes. With the dramatic landscapes of our peninsula and breathtaking vistas from our shoreline homes this new generation of Baja Pools is not just for recreation, but also serves as a significant part of the esthetic appeal of the home.

The ideal way to enhance the long term resale value of your home is to include your pool design in a new

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Tile still offers that luxurious Euro look, and is still a very popular finished surface over the gunite structure of a pool. Special materials are used to adhere the tiles to the pool and special equipment is used to provide straight seams and lines in the tile surface. The down side to tiles is the adhesion and durability of individual tiles. The final look of your pool is strongly affected by the artistry of your builder.

One of the most popular new pool surfaces is what is called 'pebble finish'. Tinted  washed pebbles are mixed with an epoxy material and troweled onto the gunite of the pool structure. The material adds to the waterproofing of the pool structure, it is virtually slip free and is available in a wide variety of colors. Listen to your pool maker when selecting a color. We recently resurfaced our pool at the Baja Insider office with Cabo Blue pebble finish. It was one of the darker colors on the chart and looked more grey than blue. Add a few feet of water over your new finish however, and you would be amazed just how blue are the results.
 

construction. Your architect and pool designer can take into account views, lighting angles and reflections of the pool or fountain to create breathtaking results.

Many people however, must contend with adding a pool to an existing property. This can often present greater challenges than starting from scratch. Your location may be more limited, pump and filter locations must be considered along with the location of existing structures and plumbing.Los Cabos is a premium pool market and you will find pretty much everything available to you here that you might find in Southern California. As the local resorts grew along the Corridor they began the need for quality pool design, construction and service that is now available to the home owner

You should seek local professional advice when choosing the equipment and materials for your pool or fountain. Materials and techniques that may suffice where you came from may not endure the harsh climate of Baja. Additionally, the technology of pool building is evolving too. Award winning local pool builders, belong to international organizations which help them stay informed as to the latest in styles and techniques. The pools that are being buiuld today for the new generation of Baja home owners bears little resemblance to the pools built nearly three decades ago."

In the construction of your pool you need to consider sun angles, views and the stability of the earth you are excavating. Proper preparation of the soil, ample foundation and liberal use of rebar are key. Most pool construction today is done by spraying gunite over a supporting structure of rebar and cement footings. This allows more options in the shaping of the interior of the pool into attractive curves and comfortable corners.

The painted cement pools many of us remember as kids, are out. They add little to the value of a home and can present maintenance liabilities as they age. Many local contractors are delighted to offer home builders their services when it comes to pool construction. "Hey, It's just a little more cement work, right?" Building a structure that will house thousands of gallons of water, safely for years, without washing your downhill neighbor away in the night is a construction specialty.
 

Many homes with outstanding views are using horizonless pools to compliment the natural vista. A horizonless pool allows selected edges to be very shallow, sometimes less than 1/2", where the water flows over the edge, into a catch basin on the outside of the pool and is re-circulated. From normal eye level the pool then appears to blend seamlessly into the vista beyond. Spas, fountains and hot tubs also use this technique to create a very dramatic architectural effect. Combinations of water architecture are becoming increasingly popular. Spas within pools, exquisite rock waterfalls and incorporated fountains can not only add to the novelty of your pool but also improve filtration and reduce the need for chemicals.

When selecting a pump/filter package for your new pool it is advisable to over buy rather than cut corners here. Windblown dust and debris pretty much comes with the territory here in Baja. Keeping your pool easy to maintain, beautiful and healthy are a direct result of the proper filtration equipment.

Believe it or not your probably going to want to add a pool heating system to extend the usefulness of your pool. Electricity isn't cheap in Baja, so you will probably want to consider a gas heater. We began discussing a pool heater in mid October. Once you've lived here a full season, it's hard to get excited about getting in a pool that is less than 80°F. In new construction it is advisable to include a safe pool cover, to increase heater efficiency.

Some pools in Los Cabos even include a water chiller. Yes, in fact there were a few days in the heat of summer that the water seemed less than refreshing. But we've considered a 35lb block of ice from the local deposito an adequate solution to our warm water issues.

Landscaping and lighting are the final touches to your water world. It is amazing how even a basic set of Malibu lighting can enhance the evening appearance of your pool. Pool professionals can further enhance lighting effects with underwater lights, halogen spots and in ground keg lights. Palms, ferns and other plants can add to the tropical feel around your pool. But be careful, don't select plants that produce berries or sap that could discolor you pool deck or water.

So, immerse, imbibe and enjoy, knowing that your new swimming pool or fountain is not just a recreational item, but more and more the completion of your investment in paradise!